Days on market in the Triangle: Understanding how long homes take to sell

For anyone buying or selling a home, one key data point to pay attention to is “days on market.” This information provides insights into how many days a home has been listed for sale. For potential buyers, it means you can determine whether a home is in demand, and for potential sellers, it can help you see whether your home is well positioned to sell. Market Review data from Doorify MLS shows the median days on market in the Triangle is 30 days for 2025. Yet there’s more to understand than the median days on market.

Real estate professionals track days on market in the multiple listing service (MLS), and in the Triangle, the regional MLS data includes 19 counties — including Wake, Durham, Orange, Chatham, Johnston, Alamance, and Burlington Counties — and 147 cities. With so many communities represented in the local MLS system, including large cities and smaller towns, the larger Triangle area can be confusing.

Here’s how you can better understand how the total days on market can help you become a more informed buyer or seller.

There are simple ways to interpret days on market. For example, a home that spends less than two weeks, or 14 days, was priced competitively and likely received multiple offers. A home that spends between 15 and 30 days on the market sells at a healthy pace. If a home is on the market for one to two months, buyers are typically in a good position to continue their search without the home being snatched off the market. Anything on the market for more than 60 days may want to discuss pricing or condition before making an offer.

However, average days on market across the full Triangle doesn’t always tell a clear story. Because inventory has been rising across the region, that means there is more to choose from, pushing out decision cycles for many buyers.

In addition, the Triangle is experiencing significant changes in pricing, locations, and types of products. Luxury homes may spend more time on the market, depending on the location. Townhomes may be in higher demand within city limits. And single-family homes may go quickly, no matter where they’re located.

Doorify MLS provides data on days on market in the Triangle for anyone who wants a clearer picture of what’s happening in the area. The site also breaks the data down by month, county, and even city, as well as providing comparative data.

For example, Wake County’s median days on market was 25 for 2025. However, in the slower month of December, the county’s median days on market was 38. In June, the days on market was 19. This shows that summer was a competitive time for housing in Wake County.

If you break the data down even further, city data shows even more nuance. For example, the small town of Angier had homes spending 84 days on the market in December; in June was 38 days. Meanwhile, Cary homes spent 27 days on the market in December and 12 days in June. This shows that Cary continues to be a hot market, but homes in Angier may have less competition.

Franklin County may be an up-and-coming area, but most of the cities in this area are small towns. Yet, many of the homes in Franklin County are luxury homes, too, which can take slightly longer to sell.

Franklin County ended the year with a median days on market of 43 days. In December, that number was 48 days versus 17 days in June.

In Youngsville, where the market is hot, homes spent 17 days on the market in June; yet in December, homes stayed on the market for a median of 85 days. Meanwhile, Franklinton’s homes stayed on the market for 50 days in June and just 25 in December, likely due to more inventory.

Finally, Chatham County, which is showing significant growth, had homes stay on the market a median of 27 days for the entire year. While the market slowed in December, homes stayed on the market for 41 days; they were on the market for 25 days in June.

In Pittsboro, homes flew off the market in December, spending just 22 median days on the market. Meanwhile, in June, homes were on the market for a median of 35 days. There was less inventory available toward the end of the year, yet Pittsboro’s growth shows a higher demand for homes, even during the slower time.

When you look at days on market in the Triangle, one thing is clear: there is no “normal” across the region. Also, real-world outcomes vary widely based on location, seasonality, price point, and the type of home sold.

In fast-moving communities like Cary, shorter days on market often reflect strong demand, limited inventory, and well-priced homes. In growing or rural areas like Angier or Youngsville, longer days on market doesn’t signal a weak market. Instead, it reflects higher price points, luxury inventory, or more options for buyers. And in a hotspot like Pittsboro, growth patterns and inventory levels can flip expectations, with homes moving quickly even during traditionally slower months.

For buyers, understanding days on market can help you gauge competition, pace your search, and recognize when a home may be overpriced or under the radar. For sellers, it provides valuable insight into pricing strategy, timing, and how your home compares to nearby similar listings.

At the end of the day, days on market isn’t about predicting exactly how long your home will take to sell. It’s about understanding the rhythm of the market around you. And in a diverse, fast-evolving region like the Triangle, that local perspective makes all the difference.

Talk to an experienced real estate agent to better understand how to read the data and to see how you can make the market work for you.